my palate sucks

Ha ha! I've always wondered what the hell that meant.

 

It's not complicated, it means, a funky smell like you'd get in a barn or near a horse. Like some good French cheese, say, or, c'mon guys.

 

I felt like I had the same thing, turns out, I just couldn't remember the differences. The way I got around the thing you have, is I did several pours of the same style and had them all together to taste for similarities and differences. Even you will notice slight changes for each. It is a lot easier to differentiate two beers and pull out tasting notes when you try each one a sip apart.

Best of luck! And as long as you're enjoying the beer, who cares. Cheers!

 

But when you don't like something, can you say why? Surely you don't like every beer you drink. Give an example of a beer you didn't like, and why (in whatever words you choose).

 

I may get crap for this, but I didn't find Celebration Ale to be all too good. I found it to be rather "stale". There was just something I didn't like. Kind of ironic seeing as they brew with the first hops of the season. I'll try it again next season, but it just didn't live up to what I was hoping it to be.

 

Okay that's interesting, thanks.

 

It's a blessing. I see the same thing for myself, with styles that I enjoy my deviation is higher, and for those I don't it's usually lower. Usually it just means I'm enjoying just about every experience I'm having.

 

I can analogize to that with coffee. I like almost any one I drink, basically, from Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts to real espresso, home percolated, whatever. I can tell they differ, but I like the basic flavor of coffee, so I can hardly go wrong. I don't like it only when it is not fresh, I can tell when it has stood too long. Apart from that I'm fine with it. I am sure experts/nerds know the fine differences between the blends and single estates and free trade, etc. I don't, but I generally like it all.

It's probably like that with beer for many, even some who like it to the point of participating here. But it could never be that way for me - with beer.

 

Maybe we can get an expert opinion on the matter. @BEERchitect , your reviews are the best out there imo. Are you able to distinguish all those flavors naturally, or is it a matter of palate conditioning? Can you give any advice to the masses as to how to build up our taste abilities?

 

I wondered if my palate was off for a while too. My answer to that is no. You're fine. Keep doing what you're doing. Keep enjoying beer.

 

I also struggle to identify flavors and aromas unless they are very pronounced. I have a suspicion that part of the problem is my sinuses, as I'm almost always a little congested. Side-by-side tastings of the same style definitely make it easier, though.

 

Do you have allergies/sinus problems?

 

The ability to deconstruct a beer is very fun and requires some specialized skills- skills not necessarily with the tastebuds, but with the brain. The BJCP style guidelines are a great place to start to understand what hop contributions, malt contributions, and those of yeast, water or other flavorings or additives are a benefit to the beer. But its just a starting point. Getting involved in homebrewing really helps because you can taste the ingredients at every stage of the beer making process. And I also try a lot of bad, spiked and stale beer just so I can understand off flavors just as much as I do the good ones. Most folks (rightly so) just tip the glass back and start taking that bad-boy down and it takes years. I have been honing those skills for twenty years and I still learn new stuff every day. But "tasting" requires the discipline to research flavors as you explore them. And that discipline is what separates the men from the boys. The real key is to develop a vocabulary that you are comfortable with and can use to help others understand the flavors as well.- that's the best part of reviewing and tasting for me. Cheers and enjoy the ride!

 

All well put. In truth it does take some work, and time. You need to understand beer styles, first, and what separates them. Once you know what to look for, it is easier to spot distinctions. And you need a certain amount of experience.

A good book is the place to start, there are many out there.

In my coffee example, I know I could get good at it if I was trained to distinguish the different basic estate flavors, the different kinds of roasts and blends, it's like anything else.

Anyone can be trained to recognized beer flavors and improve his palate. Once you understand it, you actually get a lot more out of it that way, IMO. Just as a basic example, I can usually recognize adjunct in a beer, not always, not always in strong Belgian ones, but there is a characteristic starchy taste you start to recognize. A roast malt or roast barley taste is another. American hops (any kind, usually) vs. English hops. Brett, which is a barnyard smell. Etc.

 

There is a system to beer. And once you understand the system, then that empowers you to break down the flavors and to assess them properly. That system is a beautiful harmony of history, tradition, science, technology, ingredients, religion, politics, trends, precedents, and the ability to communicate well about it all. But to understand that system to its fullest means that a commitment to a lifetime of learning about beer is required. I'm just glad that all of you BA's are on this journey with me.

I also feel that brewers and most judging types do a pretty lousy job of telling us what their beers taste like. They can talk the technical jargon with the best of them. But they are not saying anything about their beers that make us want to buy them or not. That's where this site and the qualified reviewers are putting the missing pieces of that system together.

 

Everyone's palate pretty much blows when they first drink beer. But in time and with some attention it'll get shit hot.